Chapel Information

The UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel is offered to the UNM community for weddings, vow renewals and memorial services.

The UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel is a place of worship. We ask that you treat it with respect and observe the conditions included on our website and in the Usage Agreement. Ceremonies are often scheduled one right after another, and the chapel is cleaned between ceremonies. All delays significantly impact subsequent ceremonies, so please do not go over your scheduled time limit. Please read our policies carefully and ask about any conditions that are unclear to you.

Eligibility

Full-time UNM students (those currently taking at least 12 credit hours in a degree-granting program), UNM graduates, and UNM faculty and staff may reserve the chapel.As a courtesy, children, parents, and siblings of eligible alumni, faculty, and staff may also reserve the chapel. UNM records will be checked to verify eligibility.

Rental Fees

Rental Fees: Rental Fees are for a two-hour block of time and are based on your current relationship to the University. The fees are as follows:

Eligible Alumni, Faculty, Staff Rate: $325

Current Student Rate: $275

Child of Eligible Alumni, Faculty, Staff Rate: $525

Rehearsal Fee: For $125, an additional one-hour rehearsal may be scheduled.

Additional Time: If the duration of your ceremony (including arrival, set-up and departure) will exceed the two-hour time block, you may schedule addition time at the rate of $100 per hour.

Cancellations: Cancellation of a confirmed event should be made in writing directly to the Chapel Event Coordinator (link to Cancellation Policy). UNM Alumni Relations reserves the right to cancel events at any time and in emergencies.

Reservations

Reservation Application: In order to reserve the UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel, you must complete and submit the online
Event Reservation Application and Usage Agreement. Please contact Kathie Scott, Special Events Coordinator, by phone at 505-277-9093, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. MT, or by email if you would like to submit your application in person at the Alumni Association offices, by fax, or by US Mail.

Payment: Payment by cash, check, or credit card (Master Card or Visa) must be included to confirm your reservation.

Scheduling

Scheduling: The UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel is booked on a first come, first served basis and is heavily used. Your eligibility will be verified and scheduling your preferred time will be determined upon receipt of your application. If a specific day of the week is important to you, your best chance of securing it is to reserve early. You may call our office to check available dates or check our online calendar. Because the UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel is not staffed and regular services are not held there, it is available by reservation only.

Rescheduling: If you need to reschedule your ceremony, we will be happy to help you find another time slot and are subject to availability.

Reservation Time and Access

Chapel Access: A staff member is present to open the chapel for you at the start of your reservation time slot and to close the chapel at the end of your reservation time slot. The staff member also ensures that the usage policies are adhered to. You may not enter the Chapel earlier than your reserved time. You must leave at the end of your reserved time.

Duration of Reservation: Please consider very carefully the amount of time you will need for your event/ceremony from beginning to end when you make your reservation. By evaluating all the elements involved, you can more accurately estimate the amount of time necessary to meet all your needs. Include: deliveries, set-up time, photography, arrival of guests, the ceremony itself, egress of guests from the chapel, receiving line, take-down after the ceremony, etc.

Reserving Extra Time: If the planned duration of your ceremony is longer than the standard two-hour base block of time, the $100 per hour fee for additional time is added to the total cost.

Please Be Courteous: Ceremonies are often scheduled one right after another, and the chapel is cleaned between ceremonies. All delays significantly impact subsequent ceremonies, so please do not go over your scheduled time limit.

Reserving the UNM Duck Pond

Location

Physical Address: There is no street address for the chapel. We suggest the following for use in invitations:Alumni Memorial ChapelThe University of New Mexico Campus

Directions: There are two major street intersections near the chapel:

University Blvd NE and Las Lomas Rd NE; and

University Blvd NE and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. NE

Parking

Weekend Parking: After 8:00 p.m. on Friday
evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday, visitors may park in any permit zone.
The parking lots located to the north and south of Maxwell Museum provide the most
convenient parking for Alumni Chapel events. Metered parking is enforced 7 days/week.

Chapel Description

Seating: The Chapel is air-conditioned and comfortably seats 150 people in 14 pews on each side of a five-foot wide aisle. The depth (seating area) of each pew is 20". Additional seating is not permitted as this is against fire regulations.

Aisle and Altar: (Link to floorplan) The length of the aisle from the back pillars to the altar rail is 52 feet. The width of the aisle is 5 feet. Each side of the altar rail is eight-feet long. The main aisle must remain clear and unobstructed. Side pew decorations may extend a maximum of 11 inches and cannot hinder persons from entering or leaving the pew seating area. Access to the aisle from the pews may not be obstructed. Use of candles, flowers or other such items at the altar area will reduce allowable occupancy load at the altar area.

Dressing Rooms: The dressing rooms will be available during the reserved time for your event. Personal possessions must be removed immediately following your event.

Loft Area: Only the University Organists and approved guest organists are allowed in the loft area.

Doors and Entryways: All doors leading into the chapel and associated doors inside the chapel must remain open and unlocked and an assumed path from the doors must be maintained through the chapel to each of the exits.

Safety

Campus Police: In case of an emergency, the campus police
office is open seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The phone number is 505-277-2241 and the office is at 2500 Campus Blvd. NE.

Fire Awareness and Emergencies: There are no smoke/fire detectors, automatic fire sprinklers, or fire extinguishers. Since this facility has no automatic detection, suppression or alarm system, a UNM staff member must be present for all functions to initiate any evacuations and emergency notifications.

Officiants

Choosing who performs your ceremony and making arrangements with that person is your responsibility. A list of UNM organist is provided to aid in your selection.

All marriage ceremonies performed in the UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel must be in accordance with New Mexico state law.

Food and Drink

Food and Drink: Food, drink and smoking are not permitted. Use of alcohol on University property is prohibited.

Decorations and Rice

Candles: All candles must be in a safety/protective glass container. Only dripless candles with adequate holders to prevent candle wax from dripping are allowed. Hand-held candles are not allowed in the chapel. No more than ten (10) candles are permitted on the altar. Candles on the altar must be contained and have safety tips over the containers. The candles must not exceed the height of the container. All candles should be lit approximately ten minutes before the ceremony begins. Lighting implements are available for use.

Candelabras: Two wrought-iron candelabras, each holding nine (9) 15-inch candles are available for use by request, prior to the day of your event. Absolutely no decorations are allowed on the candelabra. The Chapel attendant will have the candles in place, ready to be lit by the person(s) you choose. Candles are provided.

Luminarias: Luminarias may be used for decoration around the exterior walkways only. They may not be placed on the roof or inside the chapel. You are responsible for removing the luminarias after your ceremony/event.

Rice: Please do not throw anything inside the chapel. Birdseed may be thrown outside the chapel; rice may not.

Decorations and Flowers: Only floral wire and special hook-overs for pew ends may be used. Tape, nails and tacks are not permitted. You are responsible for removing your decorations and flowers once the event is completed.

Furniture: A kneeler, wooden chairs for musicians, three small wooden tables, a music stand, and a portable lectern are available for use. Please speak to the chapel attendant if you wish to use any of these items. Chapel furniture and wall furnishings may not be moved without permission from the chapel attendant. Only specifically designated furniture in the chapel may be moved. All furniture must be returned to its original place once the event is completed.

Music

Acoustics: The chapel has excellent acoustics. Amplification for live music is not necessary.

Sound System: There is no sound system in the chapel. If you wish to use taped music or CDs, you must provide your own sound system. Oversized sound equipment may not be brought into the chapel without prior approval.

Organists: If you want the services of an organist, you must contact one of the UNM organists yourself. A UNM organist will play for all weddings in which organ music is desired. A special guest organist may play for a wedding only with the consent of a UNM organist. In that case, one of the UNM organists must be present at all times, and will receive the customary fees. All fees must be paid directly to the organist. Additional fees will be charged if the organist is asked to coach singers or transpose music.

Length of Music: Weddings generally include 10-15 minutes of music while guests are being seated, a processional, a recessional, accompaniments for vocal and instrumental soloists and any other music that is played during the actual ceremony. The organist will begin plain playing prelude music 10-15 minutes before the wedding is scheduled to begin. Unless the organist has been notified that the ceremony is being delayed, s/he will end the prelude at 15 minutes past the scheduled time of the wedding. Organists are not available on Sunday mornings before 11am.

Photography

Information: Photography is permitted in the chapel during your ceremony, depending upon the policy of your officiant. Please inform your photographer of the specific hours you have reserved the chapel so that you will have adequate time for all of the photographs you wish to be taken. Because of the heavy use of the chapel, it is not possible to allow you to remain in the chapel past your reserved time for additional photographs.

Restrictions: The loft and the chapel office are the only areas strictly off limits for taking photographs. All other areas in the chapel are available to you.

Commercial Photography: Commercial photographers may not use the loft or the chapel office to set up a photography studio or to store equipment.

Clean Up

We ask that you leave our Chapel in the same clean and tidy condition that you found it, ready for the next family to enjoy—perhaps on the same day. All decorations and flowers must be removed from the sanctuary, foyer, dressing room, and restrooms and taken by the renter. All remaining personal items and debris, including stray tissues, programs, candles, clothes hangers, florist boxes, etc. are to be removed from the building and taken out by the renter. All furniture must be returned to its original place once the event is completed.